Project description:A higher expression of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) has been associated with several malignancies, including prostate cancer, implying a possible use as a diagnostic or prognostic cancer biomarker. For this reason, we examined the humoral response against different epitopes obtained from the envelope protein of HERV-K (HERV-K env-su19-37, HERV-K env-su109-126), HERV-H (HERV-H env-su229-241, HERV-H env387-399) and HERV-W (HERV-W env-su93-108, HERV-W env-su248-262) in the plasma of patients affected by prostate cancer (PCa), and compared to that of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and a borderline group of patients with atypical small acinar proliferation (ASAP) and prostate intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) and healthy controls. A significant antibody response was observed against HERV-K env-su109-126 (p = 0.004) and HERV-H env-su229-241 (p < 0.0001) in PCa patients compared to HCs, BPH and borderline cohorts, whilst no significance difference was found in the antibodies against HERV-W env-su93-108 and HERV-W env-su248-262 in patients with PCa. Our results provided further proof of the association between HERV-K and PCa and added new evidence about the possible involvement of HERV-H in PCa pathogenesis, highlighting their possibility of being used as biomarkers of the disease.
Project description:The vertebrate genome contains an endogenous retrovirus that has been inherited from the past millions of years. Although approximately 8% of human chromosomal DNA consists of sequences derived from human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) fragments, most of the HERVs are currently inactive and noninfectious due to recombination, deletions, and mutations after insertion into the host genome. Several studies suggested that Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) factors are significantly related to certain cancers. However, only limited studies have been conducted to analyze the expression of HERV derived elements at protein levels in certain cancers. Herein, we analyzed the expression profiles of HERV-K envelope (Env) and HERV-R Env proteins in eleven different kinds of cancer tissues. Furthermore, the expression patterns of both protein and correlation with various clinical data in each tissue were analyzed. The expressions of both HERV-K Env and HERV-R Env protein were identified to be significantly high in most of the tumors compared with normal surrounding tissues. Correlations between HERV Env expressions and clinical investigations varied depending on the HERV types and cancers. Overall expression patterns of HERV-K Env and HERV-R Env proteins were different in every individual but a similar pattern of expressions was observed in the same individual. These results demonstrate the expression profiles of HERV-K and HERV-R Env proteins in various cancer tissues and provide a good reference for the association of endogenous retroviral Env proteins in the progression of various cancers. Furthermore, the results elucidate the relationship between HERV-Env expression and the clinical significance of certain cancers. [BMB Reports 2021; 54(7): 368-373].
Project description:Epidemiology has repeatedly associated certain infections with a risk of further developing psychiatric diseases. Such infections can activate retro-transposable genetic elements (HERV) known to trigger immune receptors and impair synaptic plasticity of neuroreceptors. Since the HERV-W ENV protein was recently shown to co-cluster with pro-inflammatory cytokines in a subgroup of patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, we questioned the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with psychosis spectrum disorders (PSD). Present results revealed that (i) SARS-CoV-2 serology shows high prevalence and titers of antibodies in PSD, (ii) HERV-W ENV is detected in seropositive individuals only and (iii) SARS-CoV-2 and HERV-W ENV positivity co-clustered with high serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in psychotic patients. These results thus suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infection in many patients with psychotic disorders now admitted in the psychiatry department did not cause severe COVID-19. They also confirm the previously reported association of elevated serum pro-inflammatory cytokines and HERV-W ENV in a subgroup of psychotic patients. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, this cluster is only found in SARS-CoV-2 seropositive PSD cases, suggesting a dominant influence of this virus on HERV-W ENV and cytokine expression, and/or patients' greater susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Further investigation on an interplay between this viral infection and the clinical evolution of such PSD patients is needed. However, this repeatedly defined subgroup of psychotic patients with a pro-inflammatory phenotype and HERV expression calls for a differential therapeutic approach in psychoses, therefore for further precision medicine development.
Project description:The outbreak of the highly contagious and deadly severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), also known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has posed a serious threat to public health across the globe, calling for the development of effective diagnostic markers and therapeutics. Here, we report a highly reliable severity diagnostic biomarker, acetylated 676th lysine transforming growth factor-beta-induced protein (TGFBIp K676Ac). TGFBIp K676Ac was consistently elevated in the blood of patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia (n = 113), especially in patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) compared to non-ICU patients. Patients' blood samples showed increased cytokines and lymphopenia, which are exemplary indicators of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia. Treatment with TGFBIp neutralizing antibodies suppressed the cytokine storm. The increased level of TGFBIp K676Ac in ICU patients suggests the promise of this protein as a reliable severity diagnostic biomarker for severe SARS-CoV-2 disease.
Project description:BackgroundThe etiology of the neurogenerative disease multiple sclerosis (MS) is unknown. The leading hypotheses suggest that MS is the result of exposure of genetically susceptible individuals to certain environmental factor(s). Herpesviruses and human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) represent potentially important factors in MS development. Herpesviruses can activate HERVs, and HERVs are activated in MS patients.ResultsUsing flow cytometry, we have analyzed HERV-H Env and HERV-W Env epitope expression on the surface of PBMCs from MS patients with active and stable disease, and from control individuals. We have also analyzed serum antibody levels to the expressed HERV-H and HERV-W Env epitopes. We found a significantly higher expression of HERV-H and HERV-W Env epitopes on B cells and monocytes from patients with active MS compared with patients with stable MS or control individuals. Furthermore, patients with active disease had relatively higher numbers of B cells in the PBMC population, and higher antibody reactivities towards HERV-H Env and HERV-W Env epitopes. The higher antibody reactivities in sera from patients with active MS correlate with the higher levels of HERV-H Env and HERV-W Env expression on B cells and monocytes. We did not find such correlations for stable MS patients or for controls.ConclusionThese findings indicate that both HERV-H Env and HERV-W Env are expressed in higher quantities on the surface of B cells and monocytes in patients with active MS, and that the expression of these proteins may be associated with exacerbation of the disease.
Project description:SARS-CoV-2 infection is known to trigger an important inflammatory response, which has a major role in COVID-19 pathogenesis. In infectious and inflammatory contexts, the modulation of human endogenous retroviruses (HERV) has been broadly reported, being able to further sustain innate immune responses due to the expression of immunogenic viral transcripts, including double-stranded DNA (dsRNA), and eventually, immunogenic proteins. To gain insights on this poorly characterized interplay, we performed a high-throughput expression analysis of ~3,300 specific HERV loci in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 10 healthy controls and 16 individuals being either convalescent after the infection (6) or retesting positive after convalescence (10) (Gene Expression Onmibus [GEO] data set GSE166253). Results showed that the exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection modulates HERV expression according to the disease stage and reflecting COVID-19 immune signatures. The differential expression analysis between healthy control (HC) and COVID-19 patients allowed us to identify a total of 282 differentially expressed HERV loci (deHERV) in the individuals exposed to SARS-CoV-2 infection, independently from the clinical form. In addition, 278 and 60 deHERV loci that were specifically modulated in individuals convalescent after COVID19 infection (C) and patients that retested positive to SARS-CoV-2 after convalescence (RTP) as individually compared to HC, respectively, as well as 164 deHERV loci between C and RTP patients were identified. The identified HERV loci belonged to 36 different HERV groups, including members of all three classes. The present study provides an exhaustive picture of the HERV transcriptome in PBMCs and its dynamic variation in the presence of COVID-19, revealing specific modulation patterns according to the infection stage that can be relevant to the disease clinical manifestation and outcome. IMPORTANCE We report here the first high-throughput analysis of HERV loci expression along SARS-CoV-2 infection, as performed with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Such cells are not directly infected by the virus but have a crucial role in the plethora of inflammatory and immune events that constitute a major hallmark of COVID-19 pathogenesis. Results provide a novel and exhaustive picture of HERV expression in PBMCs, revealing specific modulation patterns according to the disease condition and the concomitant immune activation. To our knowledge, this is the first set of deHERVs whose expression is dynamically modulated across COVID-19 stages, confirming a tight interplay between HERV and cellular immunity and revealing specific transcriptional signatures that can have an impact on the disease clinical manifestation and outcome.
Project description:SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is the big issue of the whole world right now. The health community is struggling to rescue the public and countries from this spread, which revives time to time with different waves. Even the vaccination seems to be not prevents this spread. Accurate identification of infected people on time is essential these days to control the spread. So far, Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and rapid antigen tests are widely used in this identification, accepting their own drawbacks. False negative cases are the menaces in this scenario. To avoid these problems, this study uses machine learning techniques to build a classification model with higher accuracy to filter the COVID-19 cases from the non-COVID individuals. Transcriptome data of the SARS-CoV-2 patients along with the control are used in this stratification using three different feature selection algorithms and seven classification models. Differently expressed genes also studied between these two groups of people and used in this classification. Results shows that mutual information (or DEGs) along with naïve Bayes (or SVM) gives the best accuracy (0.98 ± 0.04) among these methods.Supplementary informationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42979-023-01703-6.
Project description:Transcriptome analysis revealed that 23 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were upregulated and 17 DEGs were downregulated in SKOV3 cells. In OVCAR3 cells, 198 DEGs were upregulated, and 17 DEGs were downregulated. Notably, 53 DEGs exhibited statistically significant differences among the 1,612 DEGs identified. Our findings indicate that HERV-K env gene KO exerts a profound influence on gene expression patterns in OVCAR3 cells, while genetic alterations in expression were relatively modest in SKOV3 cells. Nevertheless, genes ND1, ND2, and CYTB displayed a common increase in expression, while ERRFI1 and NDRG1 exhibited a decrease in expression in both cell lines.
Project description:ObjectivesHuman endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are integral components of the human genome, and their reactivation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of some malignancies. External viral co-infections are suspected to play a role in HERV transactivation. This study aimed to investigate the expression of HERV-K np9 elements and HERV-R env gene in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients. Additionally, we explored potential correlations between HERV expression and common viral infections prevalent in this group of patients.MethodsBlood samples were collected from 43 pediatric ALL patients and 48 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to assess the expression of HERV-K np9 and HERV-R env, along with herpes simplex virus (HSV), parvovirus B19, and polyomavirus BK.ResultsHERV-K np9 and HERV-R env showed significantly higher expression in the peripheral blood of ALL patients compared to healthy controls (p < .001 and p = .003, respectively). HSV positivity was associated with significantly increased HERV-K np9 expression. No significant correlations were observed between other investigated viruses and HERV gene expression.ConclusionThe overexpression of HERV-K np9 and HERV-R env in pediatric ALL patients suggest their potential role in leukemogenesis. Our findings also suggest a possible link between HSV infection and HERV reactivation in this population. Future investigations are needed to understand the precise roles of these genes and viral infections in the development of ALL.